Combining Agriculture with Solar Energy for Food, Energy, and Water Benefits: Lessons Learned from 25 Field Studies of the DOE InSPIRE Project
Abstract
As communities, states, and countries seek to expand the deployment of renewable energy technologies to meet bold policy goals, there is growing concern over the use of prime agricultural lands for energy development. In many locations, renewable energy development has been halted due to concerns over its land use and potential impacts on agricultural production. The Department of Energy's InSPIRE project is addressing this conflict and is exploring opportunities to combine solar production with agricultural activities through field demonstration projects across the country. Combining solar energy technologies with agricultural operations in innovative configurations has the potential to improve agricultural yields, reduce agricultural water consumption, and provide renewable energy with enhanced performance benefits. The potential benefits and tradeoffs of combining solar energy and agriculture will vary regionally, depending on local climate and soil conditions, proposed agricultural activities, and solar energy configurations. With over 25 field sites located across the country, the InSPIRE project is studying solar and agricultural tradeoffs under multiple solar configurations and agricultural activities. Specific agricultural activities include cultivating crops underneath and in between solar infrastructure, dryland farming techniques, managed sheep grazing in solar arrays, and pollinator habitat and beekeeping activities. The project is collecting data on crop performance, photosynthetic activity, pollinator and beneficial insect abundance, water requirements and response to droughts, soil moisture, microclimate conditions, soil carbon, and solar technology performance improvements resulting from altered microclimates. Results from the InSPIRE network of field sites provide insights into optimal solar configurations and agricultural activities that can contribute to simultaneous renewable energy and agricultural productivity goals.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMPA32A..05M
- Keywords:
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- 0230 Impacts of climate change: human health;
- GEOHEALTH;
- 0231 Impacts of climate change: agricultural health;
- GEOHEALTH;
- 0232 Impacts of climate change: ecosystem health;
- GEOHEALTH;
- 1605 Abrupt/rapid climate change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE